Wireless local area networks (WLANs) conforming to specifications in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (“IEEE”) 802.11 family typically involve an infrastructure-based network topology such as a basic service set (BSS) or an ad hoc-based network topology such as an independent basic service set (IBSS). While a BSS may be managed by a device acting in the role of an access point (AP), management functions in an IBSS are distributed among the participating devices. As a result of this structure, IBSS networks have the advantage of being very flexible and self-organizing while not depending on the presence of any given device in order to function.
One important area associated with network management is the provision of power management techniques that allow a device to enter a power save mode of operation, during which it may be able to conserve battery resources, but may not be able to receive or transmit communications. Implementing such techniques may be more challenging in an ad hoc network due to the lack of a dedicated management device, such as the AP.
Notably, an IBSS may be initiated by a wireless communications device, which for the purposes of this disclosure may be referred to as the IBSS creator. The next and any subsequent wireless communications devices that associate with the IBSS may likewise be referred to as IBSS joiners. In order to maintain synchronization within the IBSS and to maintain its ad hoc nature, all IBSS members share the responsibility of transmitting periodic beacons according to a scheduled defined during creation of the IBSS. These characteristics make it difficult for the participating wireless communications devices to remain in a power save mode of operation for extended periods. For example, it is expected for each IBSS member to transmit a beacon or receive beacons transmitted by the other members, resulting in each wireless communications device returning to active mode at the target beacon transmission time (TBTT) in order to transmit and/or receive beacons.
Accordingly, the techniques of this disclosure have been developed to increase the length of time a wireless communications device may operate in a power save mode while remaining associated with an IBSS WLAN. Consequently, wireless communications devices employing these techniques may improve their power efficiency while still receiving the benefits associated with an ad hoc network topology, such as flexibility and persistence. These and other aspects are the subject of the following descriptions.